Easy Creme Brulee

5 from 7 votes

Jan 22, 2022, Updated Nov 21, 2023

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Creme Brulee is a luxurious and indulgent dessert featuring a creamy custard base topped with a beautifully caramelized sugar crust. Despite its elegant appearance, it is surprisingly easy to make.

overhead shot of creme brulee in a glass jar, topped with two raspberries, and a spoon inside the jar.

Creme Brulee is a beloved dessert known for its ultra-smooth, rich custard base, made creamier than typical custard through the use of cream and egg yolks. It’s famously topped with a brittle, caramelized sugar layer, offering a delightful contrast in textures and making it a perfect finish to any dinner.

Creme Brulee is a classic recipe that dates back at least as far as the 1800s. There’s a very good reason that it has stuck around so long and can still be found on the menu at restaurants worldwide: it’s flippin’ delicious!

Ingredients For Creme Brûlée

Heavy Cream: I like using heavy cream for extra-rich creme brulee, but you can also use half and half.
Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract is my go-to. You could also use one vanilla bean, split in half – just make sure to remove it before baking.
Salt: Just a pinch or two.
Egg Yolks
Sugar: You’ll need a bit of sugar to sweeten the custard and to make the crunchy sugary topping.
Boiling Water: To keep things humid in the oven (which is good for custard), we’ll be setting our ramekins in a pan of hot water, known as a bain-marie or hot water bath.

How To Make Creme Brulee

side shot of two jars with creme brulee set on a sheet pan with water.

overhead shot of four small jars with creme brulee set on a silver colored background

Prep. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Set four six-ounce ramekins into a 13×9 baking dish and set aside.
Scald the cream by heating it with vanilla and salt in a saucepan over low heat. Heat until bubbles form around the edges and it’s almost steaming, but not boiling. Remove from heat and cool for three minutes.
Eggs and Sugar. While the cream mixture is cooling, whisk the egg yolks and the sugar together in a separate bowl until light and creamy.
Temper the Egg Mixture. To temper the egg yolk mixture, drizzle in about ¼ cup of the hot cream, whisking the entire time. When you are done, you can then whisk the tempered egg mixture into the rest of the hot cream.
Bake. Boil water. Pour the creme brulee mixture into your ramekins, and then pour the boiling water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake the creme brulee for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the center is just set but still jiggly, like jello.
Cool and Chill. Take the creme brulee out of the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Then, set the ramekins in the refrigerator, covered, to chill for at least 4 hours, overnight, or even up to two days.
Make the Sugar Topping. Before serving, sprinkle the top of each creme brulee with a teaspoon of sugar to cover the surface of the custard. Then, caramelize the sugar by placing the ramekins under a broiler until the sugar browns on top. You can also use a kitchen torch for this if you have one.

close up side shot of a spoon breaking into the burnt sugar top of creme brulee.

Recipe Tips

Tempering Eggs: If you’ve ever tempered egg yolks before, you probably know that it’s not necessarily easy to rapidly whisk the eggs while pouring in the hot liquid. My solution is to use a small ladle or measuring cup to add the hot milk, barely drizzling it in with your left hand while whisking with your right.
Strain, If Necessary: If your custard seems to be slightly lumpy due to “scrambled eggs,” don’t despair! Pouring it through a fine mesh strainer will remove those and save your creme brulee.
Pour Evenly: The ramekins should have equal amounts of custard for even baking. I like to place each ramekin on a small kitchen scale so that I can be sure to fill them all the same amount.
Adding Espresso: Give your creme brulee a gentle café au lait twist by replacing a small amount of the cream with a shot of cooled espresso.
Add Gold Leaf: For a truly special touch, decorate the finished dessert with a few tiny flakes of edible gold leaf.

side shot of creme brulee in a glass jar, topped with two raspberries, and a spoon inside the jar.

Storing Leftovers

Leftover creme brulee should be stored in the refrigerator, well-covered with plastic wrap for 2 to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s best to keep it stored without the caramelized topping.

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5 from 7 votes